Bones and bony structures are susceptible to a variety of weaknesses that can affect their ability to provide support and structure. Weaknesses in bony structures may have many causes, including degenerative diseases, tumors, fractures, and dislocations. By way of example, rheumatoid arthritis may lead to weakness in the C1-C2 articulation, resulting, for example, in basilar invagination. Advances in medicine and engineering have provided doctors with a plurality of devices and techniques for alleviating or curing these weaknesses.
Typically, weaknesses in the spine are corrected by using devises that fuse one or more vertebrae together. Common devices involve plate systems that align and maintain adjacent cervical vertebrae in a desired position, with desired spacing. These devices, commonly referred to as bone fixation plating systems, typically include one or more plates and screws for aligning and holding vertebrae in a fixed position with respect to one another. In the treatment of basilar invagination, devices that fix one or more adjacent vertebrae may be used either alone or in combination with decompression. By way of example, occipitocervical fusion may be used for a rheumatoid arthritis patient with basilar invagination.
Thus, there is a need for a plate system that provides structural stability to adjacent vertebrae, for example, a plate system that provides structural stability to the C1-C2 articulation.